Although the USA uses First Past The Post (“FPTP” aka Winner Takes All) for most of its elections including its national ones, there is a lot of local autonomy. Party list and hybrid systems are rarely discussed in the USA and, when FPTP is not used, the system of choice (excuse the pun!) is usually Single Transferable Vote (“STV”) known as Ranked Choice Voting in the USA.

FairVote Minnesota’s report of Ranked Choice Voting in Minneapolis, St. Paul recent municipal elections –http://fairvotemn.org/node/2309 – shows how successful the system was in those elections.

“Ranked Choice Voting is the simplest, fairest way to ensure that every voter has his or her voice heard in our elections,” said Jeanne Massey, FairVote Minnesota Executive Director. “Tuesday [5 November] was one of Ranked Choice Voting’s biggest tests yet, and it passed with flying colors.”

“RCV gave both cities positive, substantive campaigns that encouraged candidates to find common ground, build coalitions and focus on issues that matter to voters.”

If you visit http://fairvotemn.org/node/2309 to read the full report, you will also have an opportunity to vote online by choice voting for your favourite feature of RCV. You may want to recommend friends to try it so they can see how easy choice voting (STV or AV) is.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune’s editorial of 6 November – http://www.startribune.com/opinion/editorials/230919001.html – comments favourably on Ranked Choice Voting in the same elections. “Also put to a rigorous test Tuesday was ranked-choice voting, which was introduced in Minneapolis in 2009 and received mostly favorable marks this year”.